Rolex Cellini Moonphase - 39 mm Ref 50535

The Rolex Cellini Moonphase Reference 50535 is one of my favorite designs.  It is different from the typical Rolex, using an elegant pan-shaped design rather than the world-famous Oyster case.  It has a timeless design and a sophisticated appearance.  The case is a 39mm case made from 18 ct Everose gold (introduced in 2005) and a polished finish.  It has a double bezel - one domed and a second which is fluted.  The hour markers, the hour hand, and minute hand are in matching pink gold and are shaped like a classic double-edged sword. 

The classic white dial is quite unique.  At 6 o'clock is a moonphase aperture.  At the top of the aperture and below the center hand pivot is the moonphase indicator in a two-edged triangle shape.  This indicator shows the position of the moon at its tip.  The second hand is aided by an inner ring indicating 60 seconds, marked off by dashes and a number at 5 second intervals.  Most interestingly, there is a blue hand with a crescent moon at the tip which partially encircles the day of the month, marked at the edge of the dial in numbers 1 through 31. 

Powered by a calibre 3195, the Reference 50535 generates a power reserve of approximately 48 hours.  The screw-down winding crown is emblazoned with the Rolex emblem at the tip.  The Cellini has a domed sapphire crystal and is waterproof to a respectable 165 feet.  The bracelet is a tobacco colored alligator leather with an 18 ct gold buckle with folding Crownclasp. 

The Cellini Moonphase is astronomically accurate for 122 years.  Oh, what Galileo wouldn't give for a timepiece like this. 

Rolex Pearlmaster 39mm with 18ct White Gold and Mother of Pearl Dial

So many articles have been written about the Gem-free Rolex timepieces such as the Daytona, Submariner, Yacht-Master, GMT and others.  However, it is clearly a mistake to overlook the beauty and exquisite workmanship that goes into developing a Rolex Pearlmaster.  For years, the lack of attention was due to a belief that although Rolex is tops in watchmaking, the gemology could never come close to the quality. 

Rolex Pearlmaster Datejust 34mm with Diamonds on the Bezel, Ruby VI at 6 o'clock and a champagne dial. Ref: 81318

However, Rolex has made a distinct point this year at Baselworld to display their Gem Design skill set.  Now it is clear that the workmanship of selecting diamonds, gems for their size, color, durability and then setting it into the bezel and on the dial itself is an art form worthy of great admiration. 

Others might put their noses up at the thought that having so much bling on a timepiece actually reduces the wearability and utility of the time honored timepiece.  Or maybe some might consider it too feminine to don a timepiece with such blatant luxury on display.  However both would be shortsighted viewpoints.  Not only are many of the Pearlmaster timepieces built for daily wear, much of the bling can look quite natural as a part of nearly any daily wear.   And as for the masculinity of a timepiece, let's just say that many of the Pearlmasters, although they may be marketed to women, would look spectacular on the wrist of any businessman or sports icons like LeBron James, on and off the court.  So, let's pay homage to this stone-clad giant of timepieces. 

The Rolex Pearlmaster comes in either 34 mm or 39 mm sizes.  It is designed using the classic Rolex Oyster case and a Pearlmaster bracelet, with 5 piece links.  The Oyster case, scratch-resistant sapphire, and screw-down, Twinlock double waterproofness system gives the Pearlmaster water-resistance to 330 feet. 

Rolex Pearlmaster Ref 81319 has a simple "steel" look and white dial.

The Pearlmaster comes in 18 ct gold only - yellow gold, pink gold, or white gold. However, the white gold can easily be mistaken for steel and appear quite masculine in nearly any situation.  The bezel can be set with 12 diamonds, one for each hour marker.  On this bezel the diamonds are set on a smooth gold bezel of the chosen color.  The bracelets can either be solid gold, or adorned with
diamonds.

Rolex has a large selection of dials to fit nearly any taste.  You can find dials with diamond hour markers or Roman Numerals.  Dials may be a solid color like Gold, Pink, or Blue, or they might be Mother of Pearl or diamond-paved.  On all diamond-paved dials, gold Roman Numerals, matching the timepiece gold color are placed at each hour marker.  This takes stellar workmanship to carefully place diamonds precisely around each hour marker with a natural look. 

Although both size Pearlmasters utilize the datejust name and 3 o'clock date aperture with cyclops lens on the sapphire crystal, each size use a different movement.  The new Pearlmaster 39 is powered by the new calibre 3235 which provides an outstanding power reserve of 70 hours.  However, the 34mm Pearlmaster is powered by the older generation 2235 providing a 48 hour power reserve. 

NBA Superstar, Stephen Curry, wearing a Rolex Deepsea 116660  Image: sfgate.com

Stephen Curry is one of the top NBA players in the league and a part of the 2x world champion Golden State Warriors.  Curry won the MVP award twice in his career and is currently playing at the top of his game.  He is a 3-point master, and combined with his athleticism, he is seemingly unstoppable.  At 6 foot 2 inches, he plays a shooting guard, leading the league in 3 point shots from 2013 through 2017.  He is also a deadly shot at the free-throw line and on defense.

Stephen Curry loves his Rolex Deepsea 116660.  Curry was inspired by the hard work put into the game by his NBA father Dell Curry, who spent most of his career playing for the Charlotte Hornets.  The Deepsea is not overly outrageous or flashy.  It isn't the gold timepiece that many NBA stars like to wear, to show off their wealth and prestige.  No, the Deepsea is a solid timepiece with the ability to do things that other timepieces can't.  Just like Curry.  He can take the shot from deep - with an accuracy that only a Rolex can match.

Rolex Deepsea Sea-Dweller

The Rolex Sea-Dweller was engineered by Rolex to conquer the deep. It is waterproof to an unbelievable depth of 12,800 feet. It is made of 43 mm Oystersteel and has a matching Oyster Bracelet with an Oysterlock safety and a double extension system to be used on top of a diving suit.

Although I don't expect Curry is diving much in his spare time, other than for a basketball, he probably enjoys the Glidelock system which allows him to adjust the Sea-Dweller in 2 mm increments easily.

The movement is a caliber 3235 with a 70 hour power reserve. It has an hour, minute and seconds hands which, combined with the large hour markers, have blue luminescence in the dark.

So, no matter where Curry is flying to, his timepiece will have plenty of power and visibility every night he finishes a game.

Kevin Durant, NBA Superstar wearing Rolex Daytona 116500

Kevin Durant is one of the top NBA players in the entire league.  He won MVP honors in 2014, a title in 2016 and is on his way to possibly a 2nd title again this year.  Durant also has 2 gold Olympic medals.  He is one of the highest paid NBA players because of his combined salary and Nike endorsement deal.  At a height of 6'9" he plays a strong forward, but has the length and speed to contend against both taller centers and shorter "more agile" players.  An unbelievable athlete, Durant plays strong defense, and racks up some of the top stats in scoring, assists, rebounds, and shot percentage.  Durant helped take the Oklahoma City Thunder to a shot at the NBA crown, only to be upset by LeBron James and the Miami Heat.  He joined the Golden State Warriors in 2016 and returned the favor, beating LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Durant has chosen to sport a Daytona Reference 116500LN, which debuted in Baselworld 2016.  The timepiece is in huge demand and has a massive waitlist to acquire one.

Rolex Daytona's are in high demand across the board.  First introduced in 1963 to meet the demands of professional racecar drivers, the Daytonas of today are made today with a highly reliable chronograph and a bezel with a tachymetric scale which allows drivers to measure average speeds up to 400 miles per hour.

Daytona ref. 116500LN

The case of the Daytona Reference 116500LN is a 40 mm Oystersteel case with a screw-down triplock winding crown. The 40 mm looks perfect on Durant's wrist. The steel case and oystersteel bracelet made of flat 3-piece links are made from the industrial 904L steel.

The scratch-resistant sapphire and the waterproofness system provides support of a depth of 330 feet. The black dial has highly legible Chromalight display and long-lasting blue luminescence on the hour markers and hands. The hour markers are surrounded in steel.

The caliber 4130 has a bidirectional self-winding perpetual rotor, providing a power reserve of up to 72 hours. The Daytona has an hour, minute and seconds hands, and a small seconds hand at 6 o'clock. The 30-minute counter at 3 o'clock, and 12-hour counter at 9 o'clock, along with a stop seconds allow for precise time-setting and chronograph functions.

The Daytona has two pushers, one above and one below the winding crown, which are incredibly durable and accurate. The Daytona is an exquisite timepiece which is certainly not as flashy as some of the gold models worn by LeBron and other players. It is a precise and powerful tool that can take a beating and could last Durant's lifetime and long after.